Outdoor air pollution can impact our health. It can irritate, inflame, or destroy lung tissue. It weakens the lung's defenses against contaminants. Even relatively low levels of air pollution are associated with effects to health. The health effects of outdoor air pollution can be unnoticeable in the short term, but may have cumulative effects leading to long term problems.
Symptoms can range from irritation of eyes, nose, and throat, wheezing, coughing, and breathing difficulties to tightness of chest and worsening of existing lung and heart problems.
Children, the elderly, and people with lung and heart disease are especially vulnerable to poor outdoor air quality. However, even healthy individuals may have more difficulty breathing on days when the air is highly polluted.
Health effects vary depending on weather conditions, topography, level of exposure, type of pollutant combinations, local sources, and an individual's pre-existing health and age.